The Tale

With paper and pen in hand, She sat down to tell the tale Of a love once known And now gone forever. Tears stain the paper And smear the ink As she reminisces Over the young boy she met At the church picnic That beautiful day so long ago. Of the fairy-tale courtship And story book wedding Of a couple so in love. She in her long, flowing dress Glowing, more radiant than The pearls and sequins that covered her. He looking like a prince In long white tails and top hat. She smiles gently as she tells Of the children brought in love Raised to walk with heads held high. The words flow easily, Like the ink from the pen, Speaking of the grandchildren to come, The days of growing old together, The good days and those less happy, The love shared and the hopes expressed, The promises made and the lives lost. With pen and paper still in hand She begins to weep silently again Wishing only that this story book life Had been her own.